The short answer
A building survey covers the whole house, including walls, floors, damp and drains, and usually looks at the roof from the ground or a limited view. A roof survey concentrates on the covering, ridges, flashings, chimneys, gutters and loft, with photographs. They answer different questions, and many buyers use a building survey first and a roof survey if it raises a concern.
What a building survey covers
Chartered surveyors working to RICS standards offer building surveys at several levels, and the more detailed ones aim to describe the entire property. It looks at the structure, the walls and foundations, the floors, the roof, the windows, the damp and drainage, the services and the condition of the outbuildings. The result is a report that grades each element and flags anything needing attention.
Its strength is breadth. A surveyor can spot a crack in a gable wall that might link to roof spread, or damp in a chimney breast that might link to failed flashings. That joined-up thinking is useful when you are buying and want to know the overall state of the building.
Its limit is depth in any single place. The surveyor has a lot to cover in a single visit, and the roof is one element among many. The roof may be viewed from the ground with binoculars, from a window, or from the loft hatch, and the report says what could and could not be seen.
What a roof survey covers
A roof survey goes the other way. It deals with the roof and its immediate parts, and it does so in detail. The roofer checks the covering slate by slate or tile by tile, the ridge and hips, the verges, the valleys, the lead flashings, the chimney stacks and flaunching, the fascias, soffits and gutters, and, where possible, the loft side of the roof. Our guide to what a roof survey includes sets out each element.
Pictures of the roof accompany the findings, so the faults can be seen. A roofer will also say what can be repaired and what each repair involves, since the person looking at the roof is the person who understands the repair.
What a roof survey does not do is assess the walls, floors or drains. It is a focused tool, and it is meant to be used alongside others, not to replace them.
Where the two overlap and where they do not
Either report should warn you of a roof in poor general condition. Both may mention a chimney, a valley or a gutter. The overlap ends at detail. A building surveyor may write "roof covering appears to be in fair condition, some slipped tiles noted", and that is a fair remark from the ground. A roofer on a ladder will tell you which tiles, how many, why they slipped and whether the battens beneath are sound.
The other major difference is purpose. A building survey is written to help you decide whether to buy, and at what price. A roof survey is written to help you choose what happens to the roof next. One is about the transaction and the other is about the repair.
A mortgage lender may also ask for something specific, which is a third thing again. Our page on what a mortgage roof report is explains that situation.
When to use which
If you are buying a house and want to know its overall state, a building survey is the usual starting point. If the report raises roof concerns, or the roof looks tired from the street, a separate roof survey adds the detail. Buyers of older houses, thatched or stone-slate cottages, or properties with flat roofs often find the roof is where the money goes, so a specialist look makes sense.
If you already own the property and have a leak, a lost slate or a stain on the ceiling, you do not need a building survey. A roof survey, or a straightforward inspection, is the right tool. It is also the right choice before a re-roof, since the details drive the specification; see whether you need a roof survey for the reasoning.
For regular upkeep, a check at sensible intervals is plenty, and our page on how often a roof should be inspected covers the timing.
Who does each and what they charge
Surveyors, often chartered, carry out building surveys, and their fees follow the size and value of the house and the level chosen. Roof surveys are carried out by roofers or by surveyors who specialise in roofs. The people differ and so do the fees.
For roofs, national guides give a sense of scale: MyBuilder's roof inspection guide, updated August 2026, puts a standard inspection at about £150 to £250, and a drone survey at £200 to £400. Treat them as national averages; what your own roof costs to put right is only known after someone has looked at it.
One caution is worth giving. If the person who inspects the roof is also the person who would be paid to repair it, ask to see the pictures and judge the findings yourself. Ours come with the written price, and the work we put forward is limited to what the fault needs.
How long each takes and what to do next
A building survey normally takes a good part of a day for a typical house, plus report-writing time. A roof inspection of an ordinary house is a shorter visit, though larger or awkward roofs take longer. Our page on how long a roof inspection takes explains what lengthens it.
If you have a building survey in hand and it mentions the roof, read those lines carefully. Phrases such as "further investigation recommended", "limited access" and "appears to" are the surveyor's way of saying that a closer look is wise. A roofer can provide that closer look, usually within an ordinary visit, and give you pictures and a written price for anything found.
Repairs we carry out are backed by a 10-year workmanship guarantee, in writing. To talk through a survey you already hold, or to book a roof visit, ring 01793 626096 or send a WhatsApp. Our roof inspections and surveys page sets out the options.